SynthesisPloS one2012
Residential dampness and molds and the risk of developing asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 89 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
89 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Risk factors of asthma in the Asian population: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of physiological anthropology · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Neighborhood Variation in Childhood Asthma Emergency Department Visit Rates in Austin, Texas, Is Associated with Tenant-Reported Housing Conditions.Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine · 2026Article
- Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis/Mycosis.Allergy, asthma & immunology research · 2026Review
- Environmental exposures at home and in the workplace in relation to inhaled corticosteroid medication - the population-based REGAL study.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2026Article
- Experiences with household mold and perceptions of microbiome engineering to mitigate mold.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Development of the Respiratory System During Adolescence.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- Indoor allergen exposure in relation to sleep health among US adults.The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. Global · 2025Article
- Indoor bioaerosols and asthma: Overview, implications, and mitigation strategies.The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology · 2025Review
- Racial differences in odds of asthma exacerbations among Aspergillus fumigatus-sensitized adults with asthma.Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology · 2025Article
- Associations between lifestyle habits, environmental factors and respiratory diseases: a cross-sectional study from southwest China.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Inspection confirmed mold damage in schools and new use of drugs for airway obstruction: A cohort study.PloS one · 2025Article
- A State-of-the-Science Review of the Effect of Damp- and Mold-Affected Housing on Mental Health.Environmental health perspectives · 2024Review
- Housing typologies and asthma: a scoping review.BMC public health · 2023Article
- HEPA filtration intervention in classrooms may improve some students' asthma.The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma · 2023Article
- The Role of Climate Change in Asthma.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2023Article
- Environmental allergen reduction in asthma management: an overview.Frontiers in allergy · 2023Review
- Impact of Hurricane Maria on mold levels in the homes of Piñones, Puerto Rico.Air quality, atmosphere, & health · 2022Article
- Persistent Asthma at School Age: Associated Factors in Preschool Children with Asthma.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Environmental Exposures Impact Pediatric Asthma Within the School Environment.Immunology and allergy clinics of North America · 2022Review
29 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextStudies from different geographical regions have assessed the relations between indoor dampness and mold problems and the risk of asthma, but the evidence has been inconclusive.
objectiveTo assess the relations between indicators of indoor dampness and mold problems and the risk of developing new asthma, and to investigate whether such relations differ according to the type of exposure. DATA SOURCES: A systematic literature search of PubMed database from 1990 through March 2012 and the reference lists of recent reviews and of relevant articles identified in our search. STUDY SELECTION: Cohort/longitudinal and incident case-control studies assessing the relation between mold/dampness and new asthma were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Three authors independently evaluated eligible articles and extracted relevant information using a structured form. SYNTHESIS: SIXTEEN STUDIES WERE INCLUDED: 11 cohort and 5 incident case-control studies. The summary effect estimates (EE) based on the highest and lowest estimates for the relation between any exposure and onset of asthma were for the highest estimates 1.48 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-1.78, random-effects model, Q-statistic 38.75 (16), P = 0.001) ; and for the lowest estimates: 1.27 (95% CI 1.06-1.53, random-effects model, Q-statistic 38.12 (16), P = 0.000) [corrected].The summary effect estimates were significantly elevated for dampness (fixed-effects model: EE 1.33, 95% CI 1.12-1.56, Q-statistic 8.22 (9), P = 0.413), visible mold (random-effects model; EE 1.29, 95% CI 1.04-1.60, 30.30 (12), P = 0.001), and mold odor (random-effects model; EE 1.73, 95% CI 1.19-2.50, Q-statistics 14.85 (8), P = 0.038), but not for water damage (fixed-effects model; EE 1.12, 95% CI 0.98-1.27). Heterogeneity was observed in the study-specific effect estimates.
conclusionThe evidence indicates that dampness and molds in the home are determinants of developing asthma. The association of the presence of visible mold and especially mold odor to the risk of asthma points towards mold-related causal agents.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.